Scolded by the man before him, Sherman froze for a moment before something suddenly clicked.
He looked at The Shaman in shock, his voice filled with astonishment. "You’re... Lynn Wise? No, that’s not right! How can you be a man?!"
His words hinted at a much deeper story.
Rhonda Rhodes looked at The Shaman.
At his stare, The Shaman’s intimidating act faltered, and he looked a little awkward. But he immediately scowled again and said to Sherman, "Of course I’m a man! You idiot! Just answer my questions, and cut the chatter! Now tell me, is the caster of this Vortex Technique Finn Sherman?"
At his words, the confusion in Sherman’s eyes dimmed. It took him a long moment to reply. "This is a Secret Technique of the Sherman Family. Of course my older brother is the caster."
The Shaman’s eyes narrowed. "Good. If you don’t tell me how to break this spell, I’ll kill you first, then I’ll kill him. I’ll wipe out the Sherman Family for good!"
Rhonda Rhodes rubbed his forehead.
’After this long standoff, he thought Wade would have some clever trick up his sleeve. Turns out it’s just empty threats?’
’It might work on a child, or maybe if you actually had that Finn Sherman in your custody. But just saying it out of the blue? It’d be a miracle if he took you seriously!’
’Looks like I’ll have to get Paige Summers and the others in here after all. We need a way to make these guys talk...’
He was just about to speak with Wade when Sherman, beside him, suddenly stared wide-eyed. "How could you do that?! You can’t kill my older brother! He... he’s always kept his promise! Even though he was forced into this, he never set foot on Astorian soil!"
The Shaman scoffed. "I’m sick of all this ’I was forced into it’ bullshit. If you did it, you did it. Stop making excuses! What Finn Sherman promised me wasn’t just that he wouldn’t enter Astoria—he also swore he’d never use this Magic again! Since he broke his word, why should I show any mercy? Tell me how to break the spell, and I might reconsider. But if you keep stalling and piss me off, it won’t end well for you or for him! You know I can do it!"
Sherman’s face went deathly pale. His expression was even more fraught than when their attempt to maintain the Vortex had been interrupted.
Slowly, a look of sorrow crept over his face. He whispered, "It’s not that I won’t tell you... it’s that there’s no way... Years ago, when my brother and I were bringing the secret manual back to our country, someone tried to steal it at the airport. In the middle of the fight, the back cover and the final page were destroyed..."
"So, there’s no way to break the spell."
"My brother had already sealed the manual, but then the apocalypse came, and a lot of people changed. Someone in our clan... undid the seal. His own Power wasn’t strong enough to cast the spell, so he forced my brother to do it."
"To protect our clan’s only remaining heir, my brother truly had no choice. I know he was prepared to face the backlash from his oath. But I... I can’t just stand by and watch you kill him! And you... you know what he thinks of you. If it weren’t for you, why would he have ever made that oath!"
As he spoke, Sherman glared at The Shaman, his eyes filled with grief and fury.
Rhonda Rhodes also frowned slightly, his gaze on The Shaman carrying a clear message: ’I won’t ask now, but when this is over, you’d better explain exactly what’s going on.’
The Shaman sighed to himself.
’What a pain!’
’The Sherman Family values its heirs above all else. When Finn Sherman made his vow, he’d specifically requested—and I’d agreed—to make an exception for that. So, if he really was forced to use the Magic under these circumstances, he wouldn’t suffer a backlash from the oath. But if there’s no way to stop it, the Vortex can’t be retracted. Doesn’t that mean the Magic will just drain him until he’s dead?’
’It’s not that I’m particularly concerned about Finn Sherman, but if he dies, this Magic will probably be even harder to dispel...’
After thinking it over, he turned to Rhonda Rhodes. "This matter involves my own karma and my future Cultivation. I’m afraid I’ll have to go see Finn Sherman in person."
Rhonda Rhodes gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Then of course I’m going too," he said flatly.
"In that case, you might as well take us with you." Paige Summers’s voice echoed from the entrance to the hollow.
It turned out she and Marcus Monroe had grown concerned when nothing happened for a long time, and they had finally decided to come in for a look. They had just entered the hollow when they heard the Rovarian’s anguished story... It wasn’t that Paige Summers doubted The Shaman’s abilities, but he was clearly acquainted with the caster, and she worried that things might get complicated.
’In that case, it’s better if we go along!’
The Shaman and Rhonda Rhodes had already sensed their arrival but hadn’t planned on stopping them.
The Shaman glanced back at them. "Fine."
Sherman eagerly cut in. "Lynn Wise! Are you going to save my brother? That’s wonderful! If you help him, you can ensure the Sherman Family’s heir remains safe, and my brother will absolutely stop the Vortex Technique!"
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